In the Mood for Languor

Luxury boutique river cruises delivers passengers to the doorstep of off-the-beaten track destinations.

- KAREN TEE

From the romantic Danube in Europe to the dramatic Yangtze in China, Peggy Lee and her husband Alan have sailed down many of the world’s storied rivers. The finance and HR director of urban greenery company Elmich has a soft spot for river cruising as it takes her close to the sights without her having to leave the ship.

“When you cruise down the Danube or the Rhine, you can admire the view of quaint villages and towns along the river banks while sailing. In Portugal, as you travel down the Douro, you can even visit vineyards along the way,” says Lee, who enjoys seeing the world on a “moving hotel” without having to unpack on a daily basis or clear multiple immigration checks.

It was on a river cruise that she encountered sights now lost to history. “When we first travelled to the Three Gorges on the Yangtze, we saw old villages and hanging coffins, which was how the dead were traditionally buried,” recalls Lee. “When we returned after the dam was built, the scenery had changed entirely as the villages were submerged.”

Smaller in size in order to navigate rivers, luxury river vessels typically have a capacity of around 120 guests or less compared to ocean liners, where even the most intimately sized ships generally have upwards of 300 guests. This means even more customised service on river cruises, such as chefs who will personally purchase specific ingredients to cater to passengers’ cravings, says Lee.